Beverage machine with height-adjustable device for controlling distance between beverage recipient and outlet

ABSTRACT

A beverage machine having a height-adjustment device that includes a movable support plate for adjusting the position of the recipient relative to at least one beverage outlet. The support plate is movable relative to the at least one beverage outlet. The machine also includes a displacement mechanism for displacing the support plate relative to the outlet. The displacement mechanism includes a motorized driver for driving the displacement mechanism, a controller for controlling the actuation of the driver and which is configured to set a predetermined distance between the outlet and the recipient. A drip-collecting device can also be selectively provided to collect liquid falling from the beverage outlet when the recipient is not present.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a division of application Ser. No. 11/745,234 filedMay 7, 2007, which is a continuation of International applicationPCT/EP2005/009693 filed Sep. 9, 2005, the entire content of each ofwhich is expressly incorporated herein by reference thereto.

BACKGROUND

The present invention generally relates to the field of beveragedispensing machines, in particular, machines that can brew or extractcoffee and coffee specialties such as cappuccino and the like or tea.

There is trend to propose beverage machines that are versatile enough tobe able to deliver various coffee beverages such as espresso type coffeeor coffee specialties such as cappuccino (coffee with a milk froth) orlatte (coffee with liquid milk). Typically, those coffee beverages arereceived in beverage recipients, e.g., cups or glasses, of variablevolume. For instance, an espresso coffee or ristretto is served in asmall cup of about 40 mL, whereas a cappuccino can be served in alarger/taller cup or glass of from 110 mL to 250 mL. A long black coffeecup can also be served in a 110-mL cup. For cold coffee drinks, one alsouses tall glasses.

The coffee beverages must also meet different quality attributes whichare important. For instance, an espresso coffee must have a fine andstiff “crema” which is a stable emulsion formed by the oily compoundsduring extraction of the coffee product in the machine. The extractionprocess can be finely controlled to provide this crema, when the productis extracted from closed capsules, such as in the processes described inEuropean patent applications 512,470, 604,615 and 870,457 and their UScounterparts, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,402,707, 5,649,472, 5,762,987 and5,826,492.

With other coffee specialties, one may need to distribute a milk frothon top of the beverage such as with cappuccino-type beverages.

One problem is that due to the variable volumes of recipients forreceiving the varied coffee beverages, the distance between the beverageoutlet(s) and the recipient cannot be precisely guaranteed. In order forthe machine to accommodate different size recipients, the distancebetween the outlet and the recipient is usually too high. Too high of adistance creates splashing issues.

Surprisingly, it has been found that an incorrect distance can also bedetrimental to the quality of the “crema” or foam. For instance, if thedistance between the coffee outlet and the recipient is too high, largerbubbles are formed in the coffee “crema”. Larger bubbles induce a“crema” which is less stable and less stiff. Therefore, there is a needfor controlling and precisely adjusting the distance between the outletand the recipient as a function of the recipient used in order to solvethese hygiene and crema/foam quality problems.

There have been attempts for machines that have height-adjustabledischarge outlets. For instance, in WO 2004/052159, the beverage outletis borne by a height-adjustable slider. Therefore, a full beveragedelivery block must be made moveable relative to stationary cupsunderneath. It is uneasy to make the beverage delivery moveable to anextent that encompasses a wide range of cup sizes. In particular, thiscomplicates the construction of the machine when the machine comprisesan extraction module for closed capsules because the module requires tobe precisely closed about the capsule in a repetitive manner. The modulemust also be linked to a hot water line that needs to stand therepetitive height changes of the module. Furthermore, there is noindication how precise the height adjustment can be controlled in WO2004/052159, which is also a problem because only containers ofstandardized shapes can so be used otherwise the quality of thebeverage's foam cannot be guaranteed.

European patent application EP 0 585 607 relates to an espresso machinewhich comprises a support plate for the recipient that can be adjustedin height. The plate is supported on an appliance base with a collectingtray arranged therebetween which receives the surplus liquid and isdetachably connected with the collecting tray. First of all, theadjustment of the support plate is merely mechanical and carried out bythe user himself. Therefore, it cannot be controlled with all theprecision and knowledge required. Secondly, the drip tray assemblyraises hygienic problems because splashing is likely to occur on thesupport plate; and because the distance between the support plate andthe drip tray increases for short cups of coffee, the liquid projectionsand dripping may not be well collected in the drip tray and the servicearea is likely to require frequent cleaning.

Therefore, there is a need for a beverage machine that can deliver afoamy beverage or beverage with “crema” with optimized foam/cremaquality. There is also a need for a beverage machine that can deliverbeverages from various recipient sizes without splashing issues. Thepresent invention now satisfies these needs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a beverage machine having aheight-adjustment mechanism for the position of the beverage recipientrelative to the beverage outlet, that can be precisely and automaticallycontrolled and requires as less intervention from the user as possible.Additionally, this height-adjustment mechanism requires less cleaningthan conventional machines.

According to a first aspect of the invention, the beverage machine forthe preparation of beverages such as espresso coffee and coffeespecialities comprises a height adjustment device comprising a movablesupport plate for adjusting the position of the recipient relative to atleast one beverage outlet when resting on a support plate, wherein thesupport plate is movable relative to the at least one beverage outletand comprises a displacement mechanism for displacing the support platerelative to the outlet.

The height adjustment device comprises a motorized driver for drivingthe displacement mechanism and a controller for controlling theactuation of the driver which are configured to control the distancebetween the outlet and the recipient as a function of the size of therecipient being placed on the support plate.

According to one feature, the controller controls the distance as afunction of at least one height related dimension of the recipient beingplaced on the support plate. As a result, the optimal distance can bedetermined at each beverage delivery cycle.

According to another feature, the a controller comprises at least onesensor that detects the position of at least one part of the recipientbeing placed on the support plate and a control unit that stops themotorized driver in response to the sensor's input to the control unit.For instance, the sensor can be advantageously positioned in apredetermined position below the beverage outlet to detect the positionof the upper edge of the recipient.

According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a beveragemachine for the preparation of beverages wherein the machine comprisinga frame, a beverage outlet adapted to deliver a beverage in a recipientplaced in a support plate of a beverage service area, a drip collectingdevice which is configured to be selectively placed above the beveragerecipient and below or around the beverage outlet to collect liquid orfroth when the machine is not delivering the beverage or when therecipient is removed from the beverage service area. The motorizeddriver can comprise a drive electrical motor and a continuousdisplacement transmission system that is arranged to be driven by theelectrical motor to move the support plate in a continuous manner.

This second aspect of the invention provides a clean and lower costsolution for removing the inconvenience of dripping of liquid after therecipient has been removed from the service area. It simplifies thebeverage service area and provides a simpler service area ofcontrollable height to adjust the beverage delivery distance accordingto the size of the recipient. For instance, the support plate can thusbe omitted and the beverage recipient can directly stand on an externalsupport (e.g., a kitchen table). In an alternative, a simple supportplate can be provided that can be adjusted in height but does not needto carry a bulky drip tray with the risk that liquid could flow over thetray when it is moved up and down.

According to another feature of the invention, the drip collectingdevice is movable between a collecting position in which it is placedbeneath the outlet and a retracted position in which it is placed awayfrom the outlet.

The invention also relates to a method for the preparation of a beveragein a beverage machine comprising a beverage preparation head and abeverage outlet and a service area for positioning of the recipient. Themethod comprises selectively placing a drip-collecting device in theservice area to collect liquid falling from the beverage outlet beforethe liquid can reach the service area.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

Further advantages, objects and features of the present invention willappear when reading the following detailed explanation of an embodimentof the present invention taken in conjunction with the appended drawingfigures, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective frontal view of a device according to thepresent invention,

FIG. 2 shows a perspective rear view of the device of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 shows a perspective frontal view of a detail of the invention, inparticular, of the drip collector system in a retracted position,

FIG. 4 shows the front view of FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view similar to FIG. 3 but in a deployedcollecting position of the drip collector system,

FIG. 6 shows the front view of FIG. 5,

FIG. 7 shows schematically a control unit of the present invention;

FIG. 8 shows an exemplary flow chart of the operations for preparing abeverage in the beverage machine of the invention;

FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of the dripcollector system in collecting position;

FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of the drip collector of FIG. 9 whenengaged in retracted position by the recipient.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/743,975 filed May 3, 2007 disclosescertain features of devices that are utilizable in the present inventionand for that reason the entire content of that patent application isexpressly incorporated herein by reference thereto.

A detailed embodiment of the present invention will be explained. FIG. 1shows a coffee machine 1 with its cover being removed for showing aframe 10 onto which is assembled the main parts of the system.

The frame 10 comprises an extraction module 11 positioned in the upperportion of the machine. The module 11 is such that it can extractcapsules after the capsule is inserted through a complementary shapedslot 12 of the module. The capsule usually contains a beverage productsuch as a roast and ground coffee, tea or cocoa. The extraction moduleis fed in hot pressurized water by a water pump 13 such as a pistonpump. Water can be heated before reaching the head through a heater 15such as a thermoblock. The extraction module can comprise tearing orpuncturing elements enabling to open the capsule under pressure. As amatter of illustration, a principle of known extraction of closedcapsules is described in various documents, such as EP 0512470 B1, whilean example of an extraction module is described in International patentapplication WO 2005/004683. The extraction module generally comprises afront beverage outlet 14 forming a short duct extending forwardly anddownwardly from the body of the module.

At the vertical below the beverage outlet 14 is positioned a beverageservice area 2 comprising a height adjustment device 3 which isconceived to properly adjust the position of a beverage recipient 9(e.g., an appropriate beverage container such as a coffee cup, a lattemug, a macchiato glass, etc.) at a relative position with respect to thebeverage outlet. The height adjustment device comprises a support plate4 and a displacement mechanism 5 for displacing the support plate up anddown relative to the outlet. The height adjustment device 3 can beassociated to a drip collecting device 8 which will be described hereinwith relation to FIGS. 3 to 6. However, the present invention in view ofthe adjustment of the distance between the recipient and beverage outletcan be utilized without the drip-collecting device.

The support plate 4 is guided in linear vertical movement through arectilinear groove 30 performed within a side profiled member 31 of theframe. The support plate can comprise a lateral projection 40 which canfit in the groove to be capable of sliding along the groove. On the sideof the lateral projection is positioned a reference protrusion 41 thatprotrudes outwards to cooperate with the different position sensors aswill be explained later on. The support plate 4 can also comprise acentral recess 42 for positioning a recipient in a more stable manner onthe plate.

As can be seen from FIG. 2, the displacement mechanism 5 comprises acontinuous displacement system that is arranged to be driven by a motor50 that can move the support plate 4 up and down in a continuous manner.For this, a gear rack 51 is attached to the lateral projection 40 at theother side of the profiled member 31. The gear rack is verticallyarranged and sufficiently long to move the support plate at an amplitudesufficient from the bottom of the service area to near the top of theservice area so as to accommodate recipients within a wide range ofsizes. The gear rack co acts with a gear wheel 52 attached to theelectrical motor 50. Of course, a set of wheels can be provided to offera suitable speed reduction, if necessary.

Other designs of motorized driver can be envisaged. For example,co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/743,975 describes asystem utilizing a vertically arranged threaded spindle linked to thedrive motor and a complementary threaded ring attached to the support;which ring travels along the rotary spindle 25 in response to therotation of the motor. The system is preferably continuous in the sensethat the support plate can take any possible vertical position inrelation to a size of recipient. In other terms, two different heightsof recipients should lead to position the support plate in two differentvertical positions. It is to be noted that an incremental or stepwisedisplacement is considered as being continuous if the increment is notlarger than about 10 mm.

The invention further comprises a controller that are capable ofcontrolling actuation of the motorized driver in such a manner that therecipient on the support surface can be placed at a controlled distancefrom the beverage outlet. In particular, the controller comprises atleast one sensing means 60 and a control unit 61 (see FIG. 7). Onesensing means is a means that detects the reference position of at leasta part of the recipient. Preferably, the part of the recipient which isdetected by the sensing means is the upper rim 90 of the recipient as itusually corresponds to the highest point of the recipient and therefore,the closest point to the beverage outlet. A preferred sensing means isan electro-mechanical or light beam-emitting sensor 60. The sensor 60 ispositioned in a fixed predetermined vertical position below the beverageoutlet to ensure that the recipients are all and always stopped at asame distance from the beverage outlet whatever the height of therecipients and whatever the distance of the support plate from thebeverage outlet. The position of the sensor is determined to provide anoptimal distance range for the beverage to be distributed. For instance,for coffee based product, the distance can be preferentially chosenbetween about 20 to 45 mm. The sensor can be a plate or finger made ofrelatively flexible material or can be hinged to prevent breaking incase of defective working of the system. When the cup rim contacts thesensor, an input signal is sent to the control unit. Depending on thelocation of the sensor 60, the control unit may further command adownward motion of the cup support plate to properly position the cup inits final delivery distance from the beverage outlet.

Position sensing means can be further installed to determine the endpositions of the support plate. This proves to be useful to ensure aconvenient loading of the support plate with the recipient of whateversize and for ensuring that extraction cannot be started until arecipient is loaded on the movable support plate.

A first position sensor 62 can be placed fixedly on the profile memberand close to the bottom of the beverage service area. This positionsensor 62 senses when the reciprocating support plate reaches the lowestadmitted position. The sensor can be an electromechanical switch whichis mechanically actuated by the reference protrusion 41 of the supportplate when the plate reaches the low position of reference. Oneadvantage of a low position sensor is that one ensures that the supportplate is initialised in a same (low) position before each beveragepreparation cycle so that a step for the recipient detection can startat each cycle and all the recipients can be detected of whatever sizethat fits between the low position and the cup rim sensor level.

A second position sensor 63 is also preferably placed to sense thehighest admitted position for the support plate. In a similar way, thesensor can be an electromagnetic switch which is mechanically actuatedby the reference protrusion 41 of the support plate when the platereaches the highest position of reference not to be exceeded by thesupport plate. The advantage of the high position sensor liesessentially in controlling whether or not a recipient has been properlybeen placed on the support plate while the beverage machine is ready todeliver a beverage. In the event, the high position sensor is sensed bythe support plate, this indicates that no recipient has been detected bythe cup rim sensor 90. As a result, the beverage machine can beprevented from delivering the beverage.

Of course, the electromechanical switches could be replaced by othertypes of sensors, for instance, visual detectors such as light beams.

FIGS. 3 to 6 illustrate another aspect of the beverage machine of theinvention. The inventive principle lies in having a drip-collectingdevice 8 which collects liquid falling from the beverage outlet beforethe liquid can reach the recipient. The drip-collecting device comprisesa liquid collecting device that is movable relative to the beverageoutlet.

As “relatively movable”, one means that either the collecting device ismovable and the beverage outlet is fixed, or the collecting device isfixed and the beverage outlet is movable or, alternatively, both thecollecting device and the beverage outlet are movable.

In the present example, the beverage outlet 13 is fixed and the dripcollecting device 8 is movable to be selectively placed above therecipient that rests on the support plate and below the beverage outletto collect liquid falling down from the beverage outlet as shown byFIGS. 5 and 6. More precisely, the drip-collecting device comprises acollecting device 80 which is movable between a collecting position(FIGS. 5 to 6) in which it is placed under the outlet and a retractedposition (FIGS. 3 to 4) in which it is placed away relative to thevertical (Axis 0 in FIG. 4) of the outlet.

Therefore, the drip collecting device 80 is associated to an actuator 81which is controlled by the control unit 61 (FIG. 7) to move it from thecollecting position to the retracted position and vice versa. In theillustrated example, the drip-collecting device 80 has a L-shape with aportion of gutter 82 that extends upwardly by a base portion 83. Thebase portion is articulated via a crank mechanism comprising a fixedpivot joint 84 connected to the frame and a pivot joint 85 connected toa shaft 86 of a solenoid motor 87. As shown in FIG. 4, in a deployedposition of the drive shaft, the base portion 83 is made to rotate alongpivot joint 84 in direction A which results in the portion of gutter 82to be withdrawn from the vertical axis O. In this position, the beveragecan drip from the outlet to the recipient placed on the support plate.Conversely, as shown in FIG. 6, in a retracted position of the driveshaft, the base portion 83 is made to rotate in the opposite direction B(FIG. 6) which results in the portion of gutter 82 to be deployed at thevertical of axis O. In this position, the portion of gutter 82 isslightly inclined to deliver the collected liquid to a drip tray 88positioned behind the vertical axis O. For this the portion of gutterends at the vertical of the tank in the collecting position of thedrip-collecting device so that all collected liquid is readily drainedto the drip tray 88.

An exemplary mode of operation for the beverage machine is depicted inFIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. 7 shows the control unit 61 receiving input signals610, 611, 612, 613 from respectively, the user via a command button (notshown), the low position sensor 62, the cup rim detection sensor 60 andthe high position sensor 63. The control unit sends output signals 620,621, 622, 623 for respectively controlling the water pump 13, theheating block 15, the motor of the support plate displacement mechanism50 and the drip collector solenoid 87. Other input and output signalscan be added, as necessary, for other functions not described here.

As an example, the beverage operation cycle can be summarized in view ofFIG. 8. Before the beverage cycle is activated by the user pressing onthe selected command button in step 200, the support plate 4 ispositioned in low position allowing a recipient to be placed in thecentral recess of the plate. The user input signal is received by thecontrol unit that sends an output signal to start the support platemotor 50 in step 210. As a result, the support plate is moved upwards upto a point where the upper edge of the recipient is detected by the cuprim's sensor 60. As long as the recipient is not detected, the supportplate continues to be moved upwards by the motor 50 until the maximalposition is sensed by the high position sensor 63 in test 225. When thehigh position is detected, the control unit sends a signal to the DCmotor 50 to be driven in reverse direction in step 275 which causes thesupport plate to return to its low position. When the low position levelis detected in test 265, the motor 50 is stopped in step 280 and thecycle is over without beverage preparation having actually started.

When the rim detection test 220 becomes positive, i.e., a recipient hasbeen detected by sensor 60, the motor 50 is stopped in step 230. Themotor can be stopped immediately or after a time lag depending on thedesired position of the recipient relative to the beverage outlet. Afterthis step, the control unit sends a signal to the drip collectorsolenoid 87 to retract the collecting device 80 (step 240). In a nextstep 250, the extraction can start and the control unit starts the waterpump 13. If during beverage delivery, the recipient went to be removedfrom the support plate as detected by test 255, the pump would bestopped in step 260. If the beverage delivery goes without thisincident, the controller stops the pump after a predetermined timecorresponding to the type of beverage to be delivered. In the next step270, the drip collector solenoid 87 is moved back in the collectposition. The motor 50 is reversed to return the support plate in lowposition at step 275 until the low position is detected resulting in themotor 50 to be stopped in step 280 and the cycle to be ended. Of course,this operational mode can vary in many ways.

FIGS. 9 and 10 show a second embodiment of the drip-collecting device 8of the invention. In this solution, the drip collector is moved from thedeployed or collecting position to the retracted position by effect ofthe recipient mechanically engaging the device 8. For that, the dripcollector 8 comprises a collecting device 800 with a gutter 801 adaptedto collect the residual liquid dripping from the beverage outlet 14. Thecollecting device is mounted to the frame of the machine in a movable,controllable manner, e.g., in rotation along a vertical axis situatedinside the machine such that it can move, from one position to the otherand reciprocally, within a substantially vertical plane P. Thecollecting device 800 extends rearward by a mechanical actuating member,i.e., a lever 810 slanted outwardly in a manner to engage the side orupper edge of the recipient when the recipient is placed on the supportplate or the support plate is elevated to the beverage deliveryposition. FIG. 10 illustrates the position when the collecting device 8is pushed aside by the edge of the recipient as the support plate movesupwards, thus leaving the path of beverage free between the outlet 14and recipient or cup.

Other possible solutions can be envisaged for the drip-collecting devicesuch as a collecting device forming a chamber that covers the beverageoutlet when the beverage delivery is not carried out. For example, theactuator can comprise a hydraulic system actuated to place thecollecting device in a retracted position when water is supplied to thebeverage preparation head and is actuated to place the collecting devicein a collecting position when water is no longer supplied to thebeverage preparation head.

1. A beverage machine for the preparation of beverages comprising aframe, a beverage outlet adapted to deliver a beverage in a recipientplaced in a beverage service area, a drip collecting device which isconfigured to be selectively placed below or around the beverage outletto collect liquid or froth when the machine is not delivering thebeverage or when the recipient is removed from the beverage servicearea.
 2. The beverage machine according to claim 1, wherein the dripcollecting device is configured to be selectively placed at a positionabove the recipient.
 3. The beverage machine according to claim 1,wherein the drip collecting device is movable between a collectingposition beneath the outlet and a retracted position away from theoutlet.
 4. The beverage machine according to claim 3, wherein the dripcollecting device is displaced from the collecting position to theretracted position by upward motion of the support plate or by therecipient being placed on the support plate.
 5. The beverage machineaccording to claim 4, wherein the drip collecting device comprises acollecting device and an arm or lever attached to the member that isengaged by the recipient to move the collector to the retractedposition.
 6. The beverage machine according to claim 3, wherein the dripcollecting device is associated with an actuator which is controlled bya control unit to move from the collecting position to the retractedposition or from the retracted position to the collecting position. 7.The beverage machine according to claim 6, wherein the actuatorcomprises an electromagnetic solenoid or an electrical motor.
 8. Thebeverage machine according to claim 1, which further comprises a heightadjustment device for adjusting the position of the recipient relativeto the beverage outlet, when resting on the support plate, wherein thesupport plate is movable relative to the beverage outlet and comprises adisplacement mechanism for displacing the support plate.
 9. The beveragemachine according to claim 8, which further comprises: a motorizeddriver for driving the displacement mechanism, and a controller forcontrolling the actuation of the driver which is configured to set apredetermined distance between the outlet and the recipient.
 10. Thebeverage machine according to claim 9, wherein the controller controlsthe distance as a function of a height related dimension of therecipient being placed on the support plate, and comprises at least onesensor that detects the position of at least one part of the recipientbeing placed on the support plate and a control unit that stops themotorized driver in response to sensor input to the control unit,wherein the sensor is positioned in a predetermined position below thebeverage outlet to detect the position of an upper edge of therecipient.
 11. The beverage machine according to claim 9, wherein themotorized driver comprises: a drive electrical motor, and a continuousdisplacement transmission system that is arranged to be driven by theelectrical motor to move the support plate in a continuous manner,wherein the continuous displacement transmission system comprises a gearrack attached to the support plate, and at least one gear wheel attachedto the drive motor, or a threaded spindle attached to the drive motorand a complementary threaded ring attached to the support plate.
 12. Amethod for the preparation of a beverage in a beverage machinecomprising a beverage preparation head, a beverage outlet and a servicearea for positioning a recipient, which method comprises selectivelyplacing a drip-collecting device in the service area to collect liquidfalling from the beverage outlet before the liquid can reach the servicearea.
 13. The method according to claim 12, which further comprisesselectively placing the drip collecting device in a collecting positionin the service area when the machine is not delivering beverage or whenthe recipient is removed from the beverage service area.
 14. The methodaccording to claim 13, wherein the drip collecting device is selectivelyplaced at a position above the recipient.
 15. The method according toclaim 13, wherein the drip collecting device is selectively placed inthe collecting position beneath the outlet and is movable to a retractedposition away from the outlet.
 16. The method according to claim 15,which further comprises displacing the drip collecting device from thecollecting position to the retracted position by upward motion of thesupport plate or by the recipient being placed on the support plate. 17.The method according to claim 16, wherein the drip collecting devicecomprises a collecting device and an arm or lever attached to the memberthat is engaged by the recipient to move the collector to the retractedposition.
 18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the dripcollecting device is associated with an actuator which is controlled bya control unit to move from the collecting position to the retractedposition or from the retracted position to the collecting position.